Göteborg International Environment Prize awarded

The city of Göteborg (Sweden) recently awarded the 2006 City of Göteborg International Environment Prize.

The recipients were three Japanese engineers - Takeshi Uchiyamada, Takehisa Yaegashi, and Yuichi Fujii - supported by Toyota’s higest management.  The three were recognized for their outstanding, purposeful and critical contributions to the development of the Prius, the world’s first commercial hybrid automobile.  Half a million Prius’s have been sold around the world to date.

The criteria for the Award are a product, service or engineering system that:

• makes more efficient use of resources and/or promotes renewable raw materials and eco-cycle solutions;
• constitutes a solution to a problem (area) which can lead to a technical breakthrough or ‘system change’;
• is process promotional and of importance both in the Göteborg region and in a wider context; and
• can contribute to developments for greater global justice.

The prize itself is a monetary award of US$ 150,000 (one million Swedish kronor).

Private and commercial vehicles are a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.  Reducing vehicle use and using alternative forms of transportation and alternative fuels are some approaches to reducing these vehicular emissions.  For more information, please visit www.iclei.org/ccp.

Göteborg is one of nine local governments in Sweden that are currently Members of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability.  For more information on ICLEI and its activities in Europe, please visit www.iclei.org/europe.

Source:  “City of Göteborg International Environment Prize”, Göteborgs Stadt, at www.goteborg.se.